ABSTRACT
Inappropriate and excessive antibiotic use in shrimp or fish aquaculture leads to several harmful outcomes. These include the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which undermines disease control efforts, poses health risks to consumers, and disrupts natural microbial communities. Furthermore, shrimp products containing antibiotic residues face import bans and consumption restrictions. The aim of this study was to detect and examine antibiotic susceptibility patterns in Vibrio species isolated from shrimp farming ponds in Goa, India. Microbial culture techniques were utilized to isolate Vibrio sp. antibiotic resistance was examined using indigenously developed rapid phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility kit (ESKAPE kit). The results showed the supply brackish water consisted of 103–106 CFU/mL of Vibrio sp. which was identified as yellow colonies on the selective Thiosulfate-citrate-bile salts-sucrose (TCBS) agar. Antibiotic susceptibility testing using ESKAPE kit (Fig. 1) was completed within 6 hours and demonstrated resistant phenotype against tetracycline, oxytetracycline,cephalexin, erythromycin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, nitrofurantoin, ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, while intermediate phenotype for doxycycline and susceptible for amoxicillin.
Moreover, pH, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity were monitored in parallel for water quality analysis. This finding highlights the importance of selecting appropriate antibiotics in shrimp cultivation to stop the spread of resistant Vibrio bacteria.
Keywords: Antimicrobial susceptibility, Vibrio sp., ESKAPE kit